Various medical procedures require that one or more medical fluids be injected into the patient. Medical imaging procedures oftentimes involve the injection of a contrast media into the patient, possibly along with saline or other fluids. Other medical procedures involve injecting one or more fluids into a patient for therapeutic purposes. Power injectors may be used for these types of applications.
A power injector generally includes what is commonly referred to as a powerhead. One or more syringes may be mounted to the powerhead in various manners (e.g., detachably; rear-loading; front-loading). Each syringe typically includes what may be characterized as a syringe plunger, piston, or the like. Each such syringe plunger is designed to interface with (e.g., contact and/or temporarily interconnect with) an appropriate syringe plunger drive assembly that is incorporated into the powerhead, such that operation of the syringe plunger drive assembly axially advances the associated syringe plunger inside and relative to a barrel of the syringe. One typical syringe plunger drive assembly is in the form of a ram that is mounted on a threaded lead screw or drive screw. Rotation of the lead screw in one rotational direction advances the associated ram in one axial direction, while rotation of the lead screw in the opposite rotational direction advances the associated ram in the opposite axial direction.
An operators manual, a service manual, or the like may be made available for a given power injector model. The operators manual may provide valuable information regarding setting up and/or operating a power injector for an injection procedure. It is of course advisable for users of power injectors to become and maintain their familiarity with the relevant power injector. This may be done through periodically reviewing the operators manual and other documentation that may be provided by the power injector manufacturer, particularly when being used for an injection procedure. Owners of such power injectors may also require that personnel that use their power injectors obtain periodic training, which not only may reduce the potential for operating the power injector in an un-safe manner, but which also may increase the potential that the various features incorporated into the design of the power injector are being fully utilized by such personnel.